Serena Williams

She's a tennis sensation who, along with her sister Venus, is among the best players in the world today, with countless titles to show for it.

Appeal

As great as she may be with a ball and racket, it's hard for us to sing the praises of Serena William's sex appeal when she's all sweaty on the court. Anna Kournikova she is not. However, in 2007 she did appear in a semi-nude photo spread in Jane Magazine along with Eva Mendes and other celebs.

But to put it frankly, we're a little intimidated of Serena's sexiness. Of course, it doesn't help that boys and relationships are not at the top of her priority list; she's far too preoccupied on her game plan, as well she should be.

Which is not to say that she isn't alluring; her body is great to look at, and we'll look at her any day of the week.

Success

Serena is quickly making a name for herself, not only among fans of the sport but in mainstream pop culture as well.

In addition to winning an astounding 28 career titles, she also took home the gold at the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics, along with her sister Venus Williams, in doubles competition.

And there have been some memorable highlights in between: upsetting No. 1 Martina Hingis, No. 2 Lindsay Davenport and No. 4 Monica Seles to become the lowest seeded player ever to win a Grand Slam title, and proving that she was practically undefeatable in 2002 by winning at Wimbledon, the French Open and the U.S. Open. In 2003 she won the Australian Open and Wimbledon, and in '04 she took the China Open. 2005 saw Serena Williams win the Australian Open again, and TENNIS Magazine placed her as No. 17 in the 40 Greatest Players of the Tennis era. Finally, in 2007, Serena continued her winning streak with wins at the Australian Open and the Sony Ericsson Open.

Such success has brought her worldwide attention, making her a household name in the process. It has also translated into film and TV roles; in 2001, the Williams sisters were featured on an episode of The Simpsons (proving their mainstream popularity) and Serena also had a cameo in last year's Black Knight, starring Martin Lawrence.

Serena's fame and renowned fashion sense has also brought her some pretty exclusive endorsements, including her $12 million deal with Puma. Could her very own line of tennis shoes be far behind? If Serena can keep up her stellar track record, she should have no problem reaching legendary status like Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan.

Best female tennis player in the world? All in a day's work. How about this for longevity — Serena Williams is also the oldest to ever occupy the No. 1 position. Her domination in her field is the reason she ranked #10 in AskMen's rebranded list of Top 99 Outstanding Women in 2015.

Serena Williams Biography

Serena Williams was born on September 26, 1981, in Saginaw Michigan and is the youngest of five sisters: Lyndrea, Isha, Yetunde, and Venus. Her parents, Richard and Oracene, later relocated to Los Angeles, and the girls grew up in Compton, a rough L.A. suburb.

It was Richard Williams -- now coach and manager of Serena and Venus -- who first introduced young Serena to the sport when he motivated her to start taking lessons at an early age. She began her training in neighborhood courts, where her talent for the sport quickly made its presence known.

serena williams the young talent When she was only four and a half, Serena entered her first tournament, and from there she went on to win nearly every match she entered at the junior level. Her talent for tennis led to national press coverage and promises of product endorsement deals.

Her sister Venus Williams was also making a name for herself as a pro player, and their father was reluctant to enter them in competitions together, citing the possibility of racial problems and competition among siblings. In 1993, Serena was enrolled in Rick Macci's Tennis Academy in Florida and the entire family moved to Palm Beach Gardens. And although the World Tennis Association did not recognize players that young, Serena turned pro at 14.

Once she was playing in the big leagues, things got off to a rocky start: Serena suffered a glaring defeat at the 1995 Bell Challenge in Quebec, her first major tournament. In 1997, she was ranked 304th yet beat No. 7 Mary Pierce in the second round and No. 4 Monica Seles in the quarterfinals, at a 1997 Ameritech-sponsored tournament in Chicago. With her father's continuous encouragement, Serena continued her upward spiral.

By 1999, Serena was No. 21, after managing to beat sixth seed Irina Spirlea before losing to her sister Venus at the 1998 Australian Open, Serena's first Grand Slam singles event.

serena williams wins the u.s. open Her hard work paid off: The following September, Serena won her first title at the U.S. Open, beating out higher-ranked players like Martina Hingis and Lindsay Davenport. The next day, she and her sister won the Ladies' Doubles tournament. There was no question that Serena was en route to becoming one of the greatest tennis players of all-time.

serena williams on tv Such success has brought Serena to the attention of producers and agents. In addition to being featured with Venus on a 2001 episode of The Simpsons, she made a cameo in Martin Lawrence's Black Knight and made an appearance in rapper Memphis Bleek's video, "Do My" featuring Jay-Z. She also had her own line of PUMA and Nike shoes.

serena williams on avatar: the last airbender

In July 2007 Serena Williams participated in a semi-nude photo spread in Jane Magazine alongside celebs like Eva Mendes.

In addition to early television work, Serena also guest-starred on dramas like ER and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In 2007 she was also scheduled to appear on her favorite show Avatar: The Last Airbender.